Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a jungle gym with which infants can play indoors and which can be folded for stowage.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, jungle gyms have been proposed with which infants can play indoors. These indoor jungle gyms are formed by combining a plurality of cubic frames, so that infants can play with them indoors as they do with jungle gyms which are placed outdoors as in parks. Thus, the indoor jungle gyms are play equipment with which infants can play keenly indoors.
There is a tendency that these indoor jungle gyms are getting larger in size. To deal with this, there are proposed constructions in which foldable joints are used to allow the whole of a jungle gym is folded so that the jungle gym can be stowed compact when not in use.
For example, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3102074 discloses a jungle gym which includes a plurality of vertical pipes which are disposed in an up-to-down direction, a plurality of longitudinal horizontal pipes which are disposed in a left-to-right direction and a plurality of transverse horizontal pipes which are disposed in a front-to-rear direction and in which adjacent longitudinal horizontal pipes are folded in a direction in which the longitudinal horizontal pipes get together. The longitudinal horizontal pipes are connected to joints which are rotated through 90 degrees, and the transverse horizontal pipes are connected to the joints in a fixed fashion. Therefore, the longitudinal horizontal pipes can be rotated in the direction in which the longitudinal horizontal pipes get together, whereby the whole of the jungle gym can be folded. In this way, the jungle gym can be stowed compact in comparison with a state in which the jungle gym is deployed for use.
However, in a lowermost level of the jungle gym described above where three cubic frames are arranged in a straight line, there are portions where the longitudinal horizontal pipes are folded in such a way as to hold the transverse horizontal pipe therebetween. Even in a portion where the longitudinal horizontal pipes are folded in such a way as to hold no transverse horizontal pipe therebetween, the longitudinal horizontal pipes lying on both sides of the joint are rotated in an opposite direction, and therefore, a space which is greater than a diameter of the transverse horizontal pipe is defined between the longitudinal horizontal pipes. Consequently, the longitudinal horizontal pipes which lie opposite to each other when the jungle gym is deployed are arranged in series with each other when the jungle gym is folded, and the transverse horizontal pipes are arranged in a step-like fashion. Consequently, a thickness of the jungle gym which results from the folding of the jungle gym in the way described above makes it difficult for the folded jungle gym to be stowed between a wall and furniture depending on a residential place.